TRANSFORMED MAN walks amongst a group of children,
surrounded by tension and bodyguards. The security is in place
for those who still view him as a traitor. He is Baba Balkar
Singh, a hard-core terrorist turned reformist during the Khalistan
Liberation Movement.
BABA'S NEW CRUSADE is not one of annihilation, but rather, rehabilitation. He runs a shelter for
children and widows who have lost a parent or spouse to the shrapnel of terrorism. |
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PHOTOJOURNALIST Swapan Parekh wanted to learn more: "Since the children had gone through the trauma of having their fathers slaughtered in front of their eyes,
they were extremely wary of outsiders, especially of someone who wanted to photograph them."
PAREKH SPENT many patient moments speaking with the victims at Baba's camp, and eventually
gained their trust. They soon opened up their lives for
the camera, and Parekh found that while he was taking away pictures, he was leaving behind new friends. |
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